30 THE REPORT OF THE [ No. 6S 



have been much better had the weather been more favorable. The extension of 

 the hoop-net fishing season in the spring, was of very great benefit to the fisher- 

 men as it was late before they were able to put out their nets. 



Overseer Stewart, of Pelee Island : 



" Reports that he is pleased to state that the record of fish caught and the 

 price paid for the same during the past reason has been very fair, notwithstand- 

 ing that the season throughout was very unfavorable for the business. The water 

 became warm very early in the reason, and the fish did not seem to come in from 

 the deep water, and during most of the fall fishing the weather was very rough, 

 causing much loss of time and damage to nets, and making the stay of the fish in 

 the neighborhood very short. 



The run of herring commenced about the 10th of November as indicated by 

 the catch in pound nets, but the gill net fishermen did not commence taking them 

 until the 22nd. Herring constituted the greater part of the catch of the season 

 and were very fine fish. 



The whitefish taken we^e also fine fish. Carp abounds in great numbers in- 

 shore but very few are taken in the nets. 



The black bass fishing both spring and fall was very fair, the anglers being 

 chiefly Americans. The good fishing in these waters seems to attract them hither,, 

 and as they all domicile here and employ the boats and oarsmen from the Island 

 their coming is looked forward to as a source of profit to the Island generally. 

 These anglers are all sportsmen who respect our laws, and take only such fish as- 

 the regulations require. They seem anxious to conform to the laws and to obtain 

 information relative to the same for their guidance while fishing in the neighbor- 

 hood. No angling is done here during the summer months. And with the 

 exception of one party (Mr. Jay Cooke) all anglers have been domiciled here 

 during the seasons of fishing. There has been no infraction of the laws, the close 

 seasons have been closely observed, and no instances of the taking of immature 

 fish came to my knowledge, I have been very much assisted by the fishermen 

 themselves, who have always afforded me access to their boats and houses and 

 given every assistance in the inspection and examination of their catches of fish. 

 I am also pleased to state that during the past year there has not been a single 

 instance of poaching by our American neighbors in this district." 



Oveiseer Lamar sh, Wheatley: 



States that fishing operations were not so good as during the previous sea- 

 son ; that this was caused chiefly by the very unfavorable weather which prevailed 

 throughout the season, and also by the fact that the water became very warm 

 early in the season, causing the fish to remain in deep water; that as this state of 

 things prevailed throughout the season, the fishermen failed to profit by the 

 extension of the fishing season granted by the Dominion Government ; that the 

 whitefish did not commence spawning before December, owing to the water being 

 so warm on the west side of Point Pelee, and that he is of opinion that the close 

 season for whitefish in that district should be from 15th November to loth De- 

 cember. Fully ninety per cent, of the catch is exported to the United States 

 and the balance used for home consumption. He examined the shipments of 

 fish frequently at different places and with the exception, in one or two cases 

 where the boxes were not properly marked, everything was according to law. 

 The close seasons were well observed and no illegal fishing of any kind came to 

 his knowledge. 



Overseer J. K. Laird, Guilds, reports as follows : 



"I am disappointed in the catch of whitefish and herring this year. I will 

 not attribute the falling off of these two important kinds of fish to the fact that 

 they are getting depleted, but will lay the cause to local conditions that have 



